Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were again voted as starters for the NBA All-Star Game. / Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

by Sean Highkin, USA TODAY Sports

by Sean Highkin, USA TODAY Sports

The NBA announced the Eastern and Western Conference starters for the 2014 All-Star Game during Thursday's Inside the NBA pregame shown on TNT.

The Eastern Conference starters are headlined by four-time MVP LeBron James, who will be joined in the frontcourt by the Indiana Pacers' Paul George and the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony. The East's backcourt will feature James' Miami Heat teammate, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving.

In the Western Conference, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will make his first career All-Star appearance, starting alongside Kobe Bryant in the backcourt. The West frontcourt consists of Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin and Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love.

Love was the biggest surprise of the results. He overtook Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, who had been ahead of him in all of the early returns released by the league. This is the first time Love has won the fan vote.

One noteworthy development is the lack of a traditional center in either team's starting lineup. With Howard and Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert missing the cut, the six frontcourt spots are occupied entirely by forwards.

Starters were determined by fan voting online, in person and across social media.

James led all vote-getters with 1,416,419 votes. Durant came in second with 1,396,294. The only other players with a seven-digit vote count was George (who logged 1,211,318 votes) and Curry (1,027,281). Bryant totaled 988,884 votes, while Anthony had 935,702, Wade had 929,542, Irving had 860,221, Griffin had 688,466 and Love had 661,246.

It is unclear whether Bryant will play in the All-Star Game. He's been sidelined since Dec. 19 with a fractured lateral tibial plateau in his left leg. He only played six games this season after spending the beginning of the year recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in April.